


Strangers Friends and Lovers

by ichorousHomunculus



Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-09
Updated: 2014-11-09
Packaged: 2018-02-24 15:53:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2587202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ichorousHomunculus/pseuds/ichorousHomunculus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lomadia invites Will over for a neighborly chat, but a certain spaceman stops by and things take an uncomfortable turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strangers Friends and Lovers

 William Strife [of Strife SolutionsTM] was not someone Lomadia expected to befriend. He was downright ridiculous, pretentious, power-hungry and made his opinion on magic more than clear. It was certainly a surprise when he suddenly endeared himself to the Southern Circle, but really, everyone around here was quirky, corrupt, or deranged in one way or another. The more the merrier, right?

It had seemed like the natural thing to do, inviting the neighbor over for tea. Nilesy was off following up on some nonsense with Zoey and Ravs, and in the newfound quiet Lomadia had inexplicably found herself cooking again. For fun and everything.

She found her guest loitering in the garden, 'hmm'ing to himself and eyeing their sprinkler system skeptically. He looked so incredibly out of place in his waistcoat and tie, nice shoes walking the border of their essence crops with the damned walrus statue visible in the background. 

"You're early." She said, still toweling off her hands from the post-baking cleanup.

"You'll find that we at Strife Solutions pride ourselves on our efficiency." Will said, hardly glancing up. "You harvest these by hand?"

"Yeah, it's not that much. The worst was keeping down the weeds." Lomadia said, leading him into the house. "It is a _bit_ cramped, so mind yourself. You should have seen the state of things before we got organized."

"If you ever get sick of this place, I could help you out." Will said pointedly, hands in his pockets as he appraised the architecture.

"Eh, the only place to really expand was up, and with the portal there now, we just figured we'd live with it."

"It wouldn't be a quick job, but I could definitely renovate for you. Move the garden back a bit, make space for some extra rooms-"

"I didn't invite you here to talk home improvement, Will." Lomadia said, eyebrow raised as she distributed the silverware.

"Oh, so you want a power system, then? Better late than never." Will said, brain switching gears as he looked out the window to survey the landscape. "If you're really into that whole 'naturalistic' look, I can work something with the water, maybe put in some windmills on those hilltops… If you want a more efficient sorting system for all your potty mouth magic ingredients, I can offer you a very competitive package deal."

"Yes Strife, that's exactly what I was thinking, because it is just _so absurd_ that I might have actually wanted you here for your companionship!"

Will's brow crinkled slightly in confusion. "… Are you trying to haggle?"

Lomadia stared him down, eyes flat.

"For goodness sake, William. I actually did some bloody baking today and by hell or high water, someone is going to eat all this trash with me. Sit down."

Will slid slowly into his seat, as if waiting for Lomadia to launch a trap at any moment with demands for free plumbing and discounted generators.

"There. Not so hard, is it?"

Will Strife was surprisingly awkward in starting conversations that didn't involve business deals, but all Lomadia had to do was give him something to rant about- Minecraftian politics, the spreading Taint, the hypocrisy of the Cheat Police. He spent a god half hour venting about Parvis, and they were just getting into the riddle of Kirin's intentions when another knock sounded at the door.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Will asked, leaning to peer out a window.

"No. Might be one of the witches, they're always hanging about." She said, pulling open the door. "Oh."

"Hey! I heard Nilesy was off for the weekend, thought I'd pop in… You been cooking?" Blue eyes and freckles shimmered in the shade of the house.

"Yeah, I put together a little tea party. Will's just inside." Lomadia didn't notice until it was too late how livid green Strife had become, clutching the corner of the table with his back ramrod straight.

"Will's here? Huh, what'd you have to buy to get him out of that ugly Eye of Sauron tower he lives in?"

"Big words from the man living out of a shack next to the Wrong Trousers." Will said, hackles raised.

Xephos laughed, taking a seat across from him. "You should see it now. We've built the rest of it, but it's like, really weirdly disproportioned? Think pink slenderman arms, and a little square with Parvis' face."

"Sounds horrifying." Lomadia said, returning to her chair.

"Not as bad as that goddamn Chilli Wowas Sjin built there."

"Oh, don't start me on that. I've been bumping into those bloody things all over the place."

"Well at the very least you have to admire his tenacity." Will said. "Even if chillis aren't the market I would've chosen."

"Ha, didn't you say something similar about Sips?" Xephos said. "I've been helping him out with his dirt factory you know, me and Turps."

"That explains it." Lomadia said, looking him over.

Putting him and Will next to one another created a significant contrast. Xephos was dressed in casual questing gear, with only a repurposed jacket bearing the insignia of his old uniform. His boots and trouser legs were stained with dried mud, but his eyes still gleamed with humor. Strife on the other hand, was immaculate, black vest buttoned against his crimson shirt, with every piece of him carefully assembled and brought to shine. His eyes were sharp, posture still rigid. They were so different, but both had an air about them that was hard to define. Lomadia could believe that they were born of the same culture, albeit different sides of it.

"Better own a chain of nonsense chili restaurants than be an arms dealer, I mean good god Will. Remember when we were in school?" Xephos said, casually draping himself around Will's shoulders. "You were always saying how you'd rather go corporate and work the system, than join the fleet and uphold it. I thought you were out of your flipping mind when you said that."

Xephos was always the affectionate sort, dropping surprise hugs and kisses on just about everyone, but the gestures seemed very deliberate where Strife was concerned. It was almost adorable, seeing the angry flush of green on Will's skin as he shoved Xephos' hands away. 

"It was easy for you to say." Will said irritably. "You were everybody's golden boy, all set to maintain the 'honor of the fleet'. If you weren't so indoctrinated by all that propaganda, maybe you could've set your sights on something _real_ , like I did."

Lomadia tried to imagine the Xephos that Will had known: disciplined, dutiful, wide-eyed and eager for adventure. She could see glimpses of all those things in him now, but captain of one of the most esteemed ships in the fleet? Not her Xephos. Her Xephos was co-leader to a ragtag group of scrubs, tripping into one misadventure after another. He could be immature in some respects, but was far from naive.

"Do you miss it? Your home, or the Fleet?"

Will scoffed. "I don't like being cut off from the rest of my company, but that's the price I pay for cheap labor. As for back there, there's nothing to miss. The Fleet was just a means to an end for me."

Lomadia turned her attention to Xephos, who was cheerily sipping tea and still impervious to Strife's scorn. 

"Well it'd be silly if I didn't sometimes. But, you know, I've got a lot going on down here! There's Simon, and Lalna, and Sips, you."

Everyone knew he'd come to Minecraftia by accident, but when he had finally gotten the chance to return home, he didn't. It was as if between getting tangled with the squad and making contact with his ship, he'd forgotten he was ever stranded in the first place. He'd found the excitement he always wanted and then some.

"I don't understand you, Xephos." Will said, sullen. "How'd you go to running the most respected ship in the galaxy, to puttering around in a pair of three-story pants? I mean yeah, you were a brainwashed, self-righteous moron, but at least you had a seat of power, some real ambition. Now what do you have?"

"And what about you? I thought you wanted to be some cutthroat businessman, but I hear you're properly shacked up with Parvis now. Hey, you're not getting back into-"

"No! It's nothing like that! And the thing with Parv was _your_ doing, I hadn't seen you for three years and you just-"

"Nothing like what?" Lomadia asked, almost impressed at the velocity with which luminescent green had flooded Will's face.

"He had a _phase_ ," Xephos stage whispered, taking absurd delight in the whole situation.

"Do you mean blood magic, or scruffy boys?"

"Well technically speaking-"

"That's it!" Will struck the table with a clatter, standing up. "Thanks for the hospitality, but I think I'll be going now."

Before anyone could speak the front door slammed shut, leaving Lomadia to fix Xephos with an unamused glare. 

"What?"

With a roll of her eyes, she grasped a slice of pumpkin pie off the table and hurried after her runaway guest. Will was just outside the gate, wrestling on his jetpack and muttering angrily through a flush of green. 

"Hold your horses, will you?" She said, catching up to him in a few long strides. "Look, I'm sorry, he's-"

"I know what he's like." Will said sharply, eyes blazing emerald.

"… Right. Just take this for the road, yeah? Next time I'll make sure to lock him out." She handed him the peace offering, which was accepted hesitantly.

A flicker of emotions danced across Will's features, ranging from suspicion to confusion to surprise and back again. 

"I'd do it. Would serve him right, coming over unannounced."

Will nodded, straightening his posture. "Next time I'll uh, bring something. You sure you're happy with that shack of yours?"

"Hey, don't go knocking my house. You don't have to bring something with you all the time, it's tea, not a trade. Are Americans that fuzzy on the concept?"

Will said nothing, retaining a vaguely troubled expression as he put the pie in his inventory.

"… Maybe next time you and Nilesy could come over to my place. I've got a cantina now, with all sorts of- I mean, I just figure you might like to see a real kitchen again. You're into cooking, right?"

"Don't really have much time or energy to bother with it most days. But yeah, keep your sales pitches to yourself and we'll meet at your place once Nilesy gets back."

After seeing him off, Lomadia headed back up the path and into the house, where her boyfriend had some explaining to do.

"What was that about, then?"

Xephos shrugged airily as he gathered the plates. "I don't know what you mean."

"Really."

"Oh Will's just like that, Lom. Can you believe he was the rebellious one back in school?" Xephos said with a laugh. "Never planned on joining the fleet at all, dropped out to learn business right before graduation. Apparently being a former Academy student gave him an edge as far as freelance prospects? I don't even know."

"I suppose you've both changed since then."

"It'd be weirder if we didn't." Xephos paused. "He was quite angry back then, wasn't he? He always had something to prove."

She frowned at that. Will Strife was a man that seemed quietly but persistently dissatisfied in his own skin, who rehearsed his words and ironed his pants even when he wasn't going anywhere. He _still_ acted like there was something he wanted to prove.

From what she'd heard, life as a Luminarian was supposedly rigorous and unforgiving, their people an offshoot of humans that had adapted to the harsh conditions of space and a dying world. If Xephos had always been the 'golden boy', destined for greatness, it might clue into his stature and preserved sense of wonder. Will didn't seem like he had been given the same luxury. 

Lomadia knew what it was like, having to fight to get by. She and Lalna had learned early on what it meant to struggle, to be pushed into ruthlessness to survive, and despite their friendship, had come out of it very differently. He had his science, she had her street smarts, and eventually their paths just diverged. She'd felt a detached acceptance at the end of it all. Lomadia wasn't afraid to bite back when he tried to turn his nefarious schemes on her, but he'd always had a destructive side. With her own hands far from clean, she'd left it at that. They still had a mutual understanding of one another, in the end, but apparently the same couldn't be said for Xephos and Will.

Xephos fought for others- for strangers and friends, for duty and obligation- but not to get by. He was a hero, but he was certainly not a survivor; not someone who'd been up to their knees in the mud, scavenging and kicking others down to make it. Starfleet may have been Xephos' ticket to adventure, but for Will it was looking more and more like it'd been an escape route.

"You remind him of back then." She said. "Maybe that's why he doesn't like seeing you."

He hummed thoughtfully, like the idea had already occurred to him. "Maybe."

"… And he reminds you of it too. Is that why you like tormenting him so much?"

"If giving him a cuddle is torment, Will Strife needs to get out more!" Xephos huffed, equal parts affronted and amused.

"Suppose I can't argue with that."

"He certainly wasn't complaining when we were in school." 

What? 

"Oh for goodness' sake." Lomadia sighed, fighting the urge to put her face in her hands. "Tell me that blackmail rumor Parv started isn't actually true."

Her boyfriend snickered like a teenager, shrugging haplessly. "It was college! It was not a big deal."

"Did he know that?"

"Yes! He was the one who insisted nothing come of it, and it was fine!"

Lomadia hummed, not fully buying it. Everything meant something to Will Strife, she was sure of it. Maybe he didn't have feelings for Xephos, but having someone get that close, to see him vulnerable, must not have been easy. Xephos seemed to have a decent idea of just what he symbolized in Strife's mind, but he liked having a line to one of Will's weak points, even if he didn't understand the full implications of it.

"Strife is just silly and frustrating." Xephos said, in a tone that he probably saw as endearing, but Will would have no doubt interpreted as patronizing. 

No wonder they had such a hard time getting on. 

"You are both silly and frustrating, if I'm honest." Lomadia said, letting him put an arm around her. "One last thing. Why _did_ you pass Parvis onto him?"

"Oh, it was a variety of reasons. Parv was a scrub who needed to be taught, and Will needed the interaction."

"And…?"

"And yes, it was really fucking funny." Xephos said. "No harm done though, was there? Will could've left him to his own devices by now. Really he's lucky this is all I called in for that debt. I bet you he's happier now that it's dealt with, he could never stand loose ends like that."

"Who said anything about a debt?"

Xephos' vibrant blue eyes glinted impishly, freckles like cerulean sparks on his skin.

"Fine then, keep it to yourself." Lomadia said, too exhausted to pry any further. "It's quite the plan. As long as Will is caught up with Parv, the longer he's stuck here, and the more likely he is to forget he's marooned. Then he'll be too tangled up in our madness to leave when he gets the chance." _Just like you._

"If he isn't already."

"I'm starting to doubt this is all for Will's benefit. You just want to bully and manipulate him into the Yogs for some selfish reason."

"He's already in the Yogs, he's just the only one who doesn't know it." Xephos said dismissively. "You're acting like I'm some horrible person, but in my opinion he's never been better. Getting snared with all of you was the best thing that could've happened to me, I turned out great!"

"Yet I'm still hearing about you eating bugs." Lomadia muttered.

"It's insects, and they're high in protein!"

"That is disgusting."

"Well it's not like you're cooking for me!"

"Oh come off it. You're a grown man, aren't you?" She pushed out of his hold, the matter of Will Strife put aside for the day.

* * *

 

Parvis' base was as bleak and hideous as ever, but at least the sunflowers added some color to it. Will had spent a good few hours planting those, not that Parv had any appreciation for aesthetics.

He felt his fists clench and unclench as he thought of Xephos' surprise visit. Will really did hate surprises; it was stupid for him to have been so unprepared, to not have a response plan for if the blue leader showed up. Will rationally knew that he had no real qualms with the man, but dammit, Xephos could be downright infuriating. Who did he think he was, bringing up the past like that? It was done, and they'd both moved on- even if Will wouldn't in a million years have guessed this was where they'd end up. 

He wasn't the same tactless, emotional, rough-edged kid he'd been back then. He was William Strife of Strife Solutions now, and he was above personal baggage. 

Still, maybe it was time to bring up the hours and resources he'd been spending on Parvis. It's not like the venture had ever been an investment; blood magic didn't have any payout Will was interested in accepting. He was keeping Parv out of trouble, from wrecking himself or the world around him… but charity wasn't on Strife Solutions' agenda, was it.

"Parvis?" Will pushed through the trap door, climbing down the stairs. "Parvis, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Will! Willwillwill!" Parv appeared in the main chamber, dark hair mussed and up to his elbows in dried blood. "Will, I did a bad thing and now the witches are loose!"

Somewhere in the bowls of the fortress, the sounds of shattering glass echoed. Son of a bitch.

"Goddammit, Parvis! Ever since I got involved with you it's just been a series of cleaning up your messes or doing the work you didn't want to do!" Even as Will complained, he felt a comforting familiarity, like he was slipping back into his rightful rhythm.

"But that's why we make such a great team, Will!" Parvis said, slinging his arms around him. "You help me, and then someday I get to be as powerful and smart and popular as you! Then you and I can rule the server together, and everyone will know how great I am."

Will twitched.

"… Just tell me what the hell happened."

He'd add it to Parv's tab later.

**Author's Note:**

> Side story with Xephos and Will's time in school coming eventually. May be a bit nsfw though.


End file.
